BRACU Express - Volume 2 Issue 8

April 10, 2018

Volume II | Issue VII

Spring XVIII

Re-envisioning Urban Housing judges which included faculty from BRAC University, Dr Rubana Ahmed and Dr

Rashaad Habib Reporter In March, BRAC University Economics Club (BUEC) hosted the country’s first inter-university policy making competition, EconPodium 1.0. Participants competed to create the best economic policy addressing Urban Housing in Dhaka city.

The competition consisted of 3 rounds and 2 workshops. In the first round, students were required to answer one in a set of questions on problem-solving, by the 28th of February. On March 8th, BUEC released the names of the 15 teams passing to the second round.

The first workshop took place on March 9th at BRAC Centre, where esteemed members of faculty Dr Rubana Ahmed of the Department of Economics and Social Sciences (ESS), Professor Adnan Zillur Morshed of Department of Architecture (ARC) and Dr Md Akter Mahmud of the Urban and Regional Planning Department of Jahangirnagar University, spoke to the participants about pragmatic policy making. The participants were designated the topics on which they would have to present in the second round.

In the second round, the participants gave their presentations to a panel of

Studies. Subsequently, 5 of the competing teams were chosen to move on to the next

The top 3 teams of Econpodium 1.0: (From left to right) 2nd Runner up Team 11th Hour with members Mausikur Rahman Khan, Wasif Zawad Talukder, Syed Ahnaf Bhakt and Ashfaqul Azam; Champion Team Generic with members Aneem Islam, Syeda Adiba Arif, Taqi Tahmeed Sakib; and 1st Runner up, Team Intrepide with members, Maisha Hossain Choudhury, Mutasim Billa Mubde and Zobayer Ahmed and Afraim Karim.

Wasiqur Rahman Khan as well as guest judges, Dr Monzur Hossain and Dr Kazi Iqbal, both Senior Research Fellows of Bangladesh Institute of Development

round.

On March 17th the second workshop was held, a session on policy making where the teams were given further instruction

BRAC University hosts Science Exhibition provide a platform for the young minds of BRACU to come up with innovative, cost-effective and sustainable ideas to counter issues like pollution, diseases, energy crisis, traffic, etc.

There were 20 projects exhibited, potraying ideas such as Eco-Car, detecting cancer with nanobots, modern traffic management, and others. There were also two quiz competitions open to anyone visiting Salman Khan Promon delivers his closing speech on stage. the exhibition.

BRAC University held its first ever Students from the schools Aga Khan, science exhibition on March 11th, BCSIR and Dhanmondi Tutorial were organized jointly by the Department of among such visitors.

Mathematics and Natural Sciences (MNS) This was the brainchild of Salman and BRAC University Natural Sciences Khan Promon, currently a teaching Club (BUNSC). The outlook was to assistant for the Biotechnology

Faiza Khondokar Reporter

programme, who was invited on stage as one of the closing speakers. He was followed on stage by the chief guests, Vice Chancellor Professor Syed Saad Andaleeb, Pro-Vice Chancellor Professor Ansar Ahmed and Chairperson of the MNS Department Professor A F M Yusuf Haider.

The innovators of Eco-Car, Sarowar Jahan Saurav and Nafees Hossain Akash were declared the champions, won Tk 10,000 prize money. The 3D Printer by Farzana Zaman and Shifat Sehrin Khan Upoma secured the position of first runners up and won Tk 7,000. The BACMEC by Lamisa Tahsin and Sayeed Alvi was awarded second runners up, winning Tk 5,000. Apart from the prize money, the teams holding the top three positions were awarded crests and certificates.

In light of the exhibition’s success, MNS and BUNSC hope to continue providing such platforms to and encourage BRACU students to innovate and problem-solve more. ■

on how to create a policy brief along with a policy study. The workshop was led by Md. Akhtaruzzaman, UN Habitat Representative in Bangladesh and Adnan Fakir, Lecturer from ESS. The Grand Finale took place on March 23rd at the Gardenia Grand Restaurant and Hall. The 5 teams proposed their policies to address the Housing Crisis in Bangladesh. The panel of judges, which consisted of Mr Salim Akhter, Chair and President of ASSET Developments and Holdings, Dr Md Akter Mahmud, Professor Mustafizur Rahman, Distinguished Fellow of Centre for Policy Dialogue and Mosta Gausul Haque, Director (DS) (Planning & Development), Bangladesh Parliament Secretariat.

The winner was Team Generic from IBA, consisting of Aneem Islam, Syeda Adiba Arif, Taqi Tahmeed Sakib and Saadman Rahman Chowdhury, winning the grand prize of Tk 100,000.

1st runners up went to Team Intrepide, consisting of Afraim Karim, Maisha Hossain Choudhury, Mutasim Billa Mubde and Zobayer Ahmed, who took home Tk 60,000 and lastly, 2nd runners up went to Team 11th Hour, consisting of Mausikur Rahman Khan, Wasif Zawad Talukder, Syed Ahnaf Bhakt and Ashfaqul Azam, who were given Tk 30,000. ■

BRACU launches first ever “Empathy Lab” BRAC University, in collaboration with Ashoka Innovators for the Public and Toru Pvt Ltd, announced the launch of Bangladesh’s first “Empathy Lab” at a press conference in the Indoor Auditorium on March 25th.

Lady Syeda Sarwat Abed, Founder and Director, BRAC Institute of Languages, explains the vision of the programme to be, “creating an ecosystem that builds empathy in every child and youth in Bangladesh.”

As a developing country facing both challenges to maintaining the pace of development, as well as innovating to move forward, the youth especially is an incredibly essential part of the system that drives us on.

The “Empathy Lab” hence is to initiate a new education process that breeds change-making skills and critical skills of empathy amongst students, from school age and up. ■

2 | BRACU Express

April 10, 2018

CAMPUS NEWS

After 47 years

BRIEFS STAR BRACU Short Film Contest BRAC University Film Club (BUFC) organized an intra-university short film competition ‘TRIPOD’, from February 25th to March 10th. The top three short films were chosen to compete in ‘STAR BRACU SHORT FILM’ Contest 2018, an inter-university short film contest that took place on March 15th. BUFC was also the event partner. The theme for both contests was “Drug abuse and its prevention in Bangladesh from your perspective”.

North South University won the first prize with their short film, ‘The Darkness’. ‘The Murderer’ from American International University of Bangladesh and ‘Shongbidhiboddho Shotorkikoron’ from BRAC University were awarded the first runners-up and second runners-up positions respectively.

BRACU takes BDLex by storm With over a 1000 participants from all over Bangladesh, finalists Maimuna Syed Ahmed, Afsana Sharmin Eva and Antara Tabassum claimed the second, third and fifth prizes respectively at BDLex. BDLex, which is an annual competition, is organized by Manupatra, the digital legal research company. The essay topics included Media and Ethics, Climate Change, and Gender Justice in Bangladesh. BRAC University has also been awarded for maximum entries by a college.

Of economics and employment On March 8th, the Department of Economics and Social Sciences invited Dr Rizwanul Islam to conduct a public lecture on economic growth, structural transformation and employment.

Dr Rizwanul Islam is a former special adviser to the International Labor Organization’s Employment Sector, and has taught economics at the University of Dhaka. He began his speech enquiring about the alternative pathways to structural transformation and if there were any other way around the common pattern of modernization through the shifts from agricultural to territory sectors. The remainder of his lecture focused on the importance of premature deindustrialization, generating high employment and the diminishing marginal returns of the agricultural sector.

The lecture was attended by BRAC Chairperson and Founder Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, Vice Chancellor Professor Syed Saad Andaleeb, BRAC University, former Finance Minister M Syeduzzaman, former Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Salehuddin Ahmed, Distinguished Fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue Dr Mustafizur Rahman, and Policy Research Institute Chairman Dr Zaidi Sattar.

Muntaqa W Bari Reporter It has been 47 years since the speech that catalysed a movement so powerful that it set an oppressed nation free.

47 years since the heinous crimes of the Pakistani army against our people. It has been 47 years since the month of March that began everything for the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.

On March 25th, students, faculties and staff members of BRAC University came together in front of University Building-2 with candles in their hands and black ribbons on their chests. Newly appointed Registrar, Lt Col Md Foyzul Islam (Retd), spoke about the countless lives that were lost in Operation Searchlight. Everyone paid their respects by maintaining a minute of silence. Afterwards, Dilara Afroz Khan, Director of the Office of Co-Curricular Activities, thanked BRAC University Business Club (BIZ BEE) for arranging the event and everyone in the crowd for participating.

On the 26th of March, BRAC University joined the rest

of the nation in singing the National Anthem led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at 8am and celebrating Independence Day. Despite being a public holiday, students and members of faculty joined the tribute.

The following day saw a celebratory event organized in the Auditorium by the OCA with the help of BIZ BEE, BRAC University Film Club (BUFC) and BRAC University Cultural Club (BUCuC). BIZ BEE was in charge of decorations and arranging the artwork exhibition, including the making of the National Monument Replica. BUFC arranged a screening of “Amar Bondhu Rashed” after playing the National Anthem.

BUCuC made a video compilation consisting of several songs which had been sung by the members of the club. The entire event was hosted by Dilara Afroz Khan.

The scars that we have received as a nation run too deep to fade with time and there will always be a gaping hole in our hearts for the price we had to pay for our freedom. However, our sense of pride and gratitude still remain undiminished as we celebrate our independence for the 47th time. ■

Team Elevate secures Top 6 at HULT Najibah Rahman Reporter Team Elevate placed in the Top 6 at the HULT Prize, Singapore. After months of thriving and setting up a solution to “Harnessing the Power of Energy”, the results were announced on March 17th at Nanyang Technological University. At the Regional Finals held in Singapore, there were 3 groups with 16 teams in each. Team Elevate became one of the two winners in their own group, which had teams from reputed universities all over the globe.

Team Elevate of BRAC University lost the winning position by one mark to An-Najah National University of Palestine. They got countless commendations from all the judges present, including offers with potential investors and if all goes well, Team Elevate might still make it to Global Finals by the wild card entry. Sanzia Karim, CFO of Elevate Solutions, shares her take and says, “Missing the first position by 1 point was actually very sad.

But we will go ahead with our plan because the judges have been extremely motivating and encouraging.”

In retrospect, Tanvir Islam, CEO of Elevate Solutions, says, “Everything boiled down to just 6 minutes. Those 6 minutes to show everyone in that auditorium who we are and why we deserved to be there. That is when my team brought out the best in themselves.”

Talha Ahmed, a senior student of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at BRAC University, and Chief Technology Officer of Elevate Solutions: “Regionals in Singapore was great!

We were privileged to learn a lot of things. It was overwhelming, as these things go, but as we stepped onto the stage, we felt like we made Team Elevate at HULT Prize 2018 Regionals in Singapore.

BRACU a giant itself.” ■

MGT401: Jack of all trades Roshni Shamim Reporter The course syllabus for MGT 401: Business Strategy includes brand definitions and incorporating appropriate strategies for building a brand etc. The idea of the trade fair, a project and an event within the course, is to simulate businesses, as a part of coursework. Students team up to develop a product with a brand name, and plan strategies involving pricing and selling. There is no stall fee and the fair is conducted in the Indoor Auditorium.

The total profit earned is then split between the team members.

This semester’s trade fair took place on February 28th, with sales amounting to Tk 58,000 from a total investment of Tk 12,000. The winning team, Mughlai Zaika, sold biryani and was completely sold out within the first two hours. Although the maximum amount for investment per team was Tk 1000, Mughlai Zaika was able to reinvest an additional Tk 1300 from their profits to the total fund that hence earned the team a sales total of Tk 18,000.

Lecturer Mahreen Mamoon explains how there is a visible and significant change in the students after the project; students display higher interest in the course materials and an acquired enthusiasm for learning how to apply their lessons in the real world. The trade fair is a great way for students to ‘taste’ the world of business in terms of not only sales and profit but also ethics and accountability. ■

April 10, 2018

OPINION & ACADEMICS Counting your skills down Faisal Bin Iqbal Reporter Ever looked carefully at the “job requirements” section for any regular job? For a moment, let us ignore the experience needed for the job and focus on the educational qualifications. Most jobs ask for a Bachelor’s degree and some may require a Master’s degree too.

Some, however, will ignore your educational qualifications if you have the skills needed for the job. Yes, the last

Dr Naher wins the OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Award Muntaqa W Bari Reporter

of Dhaka University in mathematics and he was my inspiration.

Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD) Elsevier Foundation Award for Women Scientists in the Developing World is a prestigious award given to those who show exceptional commitment to improving lives and livelihoods in their countries.

Winning this award in the field of Applied Mathematics for her work in nonlinear partial differential equations is our very own Associate Professor of Mathematics from the Department of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at BRAC University, Dr Hasibun Naher.

How has winning this award taken you closer to achieving your goals?

Dr Naher’s major academic contributions have included her latest work on tsunami simulation to make more accurate predictions of tsunami behaviour and her research on travelling waves.

As a high school student, I thought to myself, “I want to be a scientist in mathematics.” But in our developing

Dr Naher speaking about her work at the Elsevier Award Ceremony in Austin, Texas. On stage behind her are fellow award winners (Source: Elsevier).

Have you always wanted to become a mathematician?

category of employers do exist. Welcome, to the world of Information Technology (IT).

Degrees and skills are worlds apart.

Sometimes the former lose value without the latter. IT employers prefer recruiting people based on their skills, not their educational qualifications. If anything, they consider a degree or any other professional course supplementary to one’s skills. It goes without saying that university courses are usually constructed to develop an individual’s ability to perform in the professional workplace.

Now, with the dynamic growth of the IT industry, it can be difficult to identify the most in-demand set of skills in the market. One solution can be gaining expertise in certain areas of one’s target sector, instead of trying to absorb all there is to know about that sector.

Take the Internet of Things (IoT), for example, it includes fields such as sensors, networks, platforms, program, etc. Instead of focusing on all of these, one should only be concerned with a specific field. This accelerates development of the individual and opens a new, wider scope of opportunities for them in other sectors as well. This is, in fact, the beauty of working in the IT sector. Be it hardware or software, your skills and knowledge in a particular field can create new opportunities for you anywhere that has the need for that technology.

So, if you are confused on what skills or how many of them you need to get that recruitment letter, the best option is to simply go ahead and focus on a selected few based on the sector you are most comfortable with, not the one that pays the highest. ■

BRACU Express | 3

I have always liked mathematics. I did not think I would become a mathematician exactly... My father had wanted me to be a doctor but when I finished primary school, I realised that while I did not want to disappoint him, I could not be a medical doctor. I eventually decided to complete my PhD in mathematics. There are so many global problems which I think can be solved using mathematical modeling. That is why Applied Mathematics is so fascinating and important to me.

What was your initial influence to join this field?

Simply the love of the work. I adore and enjoy mathematics. My maternal uncle was also a student

country, we do not have enough funding for necessary research. To undertake research, we need to collaborate with international bodies and go abroad. This award motivates me to do so.

Do you have any words of advice for the female students of your department?

As a mathematician in science, I can be a role model for the next generation of female scientists. There are so many obstacles for female students, as well as female faculty. Women have the ‘duty’ to manage family and their career, so for women holding respectable positions, it can get very difficult. I encourage my students to do their best to achieve their goals, as I try to do. ■

BRACU Duburi represents Bangladesh in the Singapore AUV Challenge of Electrical and Electronic Engineering), Rahatul Amin Ananto (graduate, CSE), Sayantan Roy Arko (junior, EEE) and their advisor Dr From “Chondrobot” to Md Khalilur Rahman, reached the “Mongol-Tori”, the Robotics Club final rounds. Unfortunately, the rover of BRAC University (ROBU) has failed to get past the final challenge brought prosperity in robotics and could not secure a ranked for BRAC University as well as position. However, it still received Bangladesh. They continued their wide acclaim due to its amazing impressive momentum this March, performance. as they took their latest creation Rahatul, in charge of the rover’s “Duburi” to the Singapore AUV design and architecture, shared Challenge (SAUVC) 2018. his experience, saying, “This was Built on the basis of machine not a competition, just a challenge.

The team testing their rover before the learning and artificial intelligence, We managed to bond with teams competition. (Source: bracu website) “Duburi” is an autonomous aquatic from 13 other countries as we helped rover with decision-making each other out. Most importantly, due to our amazing capabilities. This rover has been developed by the ROBU performance there, the IEEE Oceanic Engineering Society under the guidance of Associate Professor Dr Md Khalilur (OES) is now eager to open up a branch in Bangladesh for Rahman, Assistant Professor Dr Amitabha Chakrabarty and the very first time.”

Lecturer Saiful Islam from the Department of Computer In a riverine country such as Bangladesh, the rover Science and Engineering and Mohammed Shourobh of can serve multiple purposes. From monitoring water Naster Lab. pollution, fish health and size to underwater surveillance, 46 teams from 13 countries from around the world took this rover can manage a wide range of tasks. Its autonomous part. Team BRACU Duburi consisting of Adnan Sabbir nature can be very helpful in making vital decisions in (senior, CSE), Sakib Ahmed Sumdany (senior, Department unpredictable waters. ■

Faisal Bin Iqbal Reporter

4 | BRACU Express

April 10, 2018

SPECIAL FEATURE

Finals Gon

As the last week of the Spring 2018 semester approaches, students and tea and preparations for the final examinations. For students, this time is espe jaw-dropping mistakes. Final exam horror stories are common to every st wrong course, the blunders are many and yet, only a few lucky ones can sa

Exams versus Pohela Boishakh Written by Faiza N Rafa When exams and your favourite festival clashes, your head is stuck between remembering formulas and planning the perfect red saree.

My family is just as enthusiastic regarding Pohela Baishakh as I am, so I braced myself for a day of calling up friends and family, while also trying to strategise how to finish the remaining two-thirds of my syllabus left to revise.

Ultimately, I ended up sitting uncomfortably at a dawat, going through all my notes on my phone in a poor attempt to prepare. I could not even complain because it was not the party hindering my studies but rather the other way around. At that point, it

felt as if my family, friends, neighbours, maids, and teachers had joined forces with the universe to conspire against me.

What a horrible dilemma to face: if I did not help my mother during the party, I would have to hear about it for the rest of my life. On the other hand, if my grades were not up to mark, I would be threatened with marriage (compared to my brother’s threat of being excluded from the inheritance).

The ability to make it out of all of this alive in one piece and smiling was a miracle in itself. However, I think I ended up describing ‘panta ilish’ in a question that asked for the definition of culture; so perhaps I should consider myself very lucky that my parents did not start searching for a groom for me just yet. ■

A race against time Written By Md Rezwanur Rahman The rows of amazed faces were a blur to me as I entered the class room, my heart racing. I was exhausted, tensed and underprepared. How did I ever get into such a catastrophic situation?

The night before my HUM 101 exam was the only time I had to confront the monstrous syllabus. After pulling an all-nighter of epic proportions, I was ready for the battle. All I needed was the location of the warzone. But opening my browser to the website led to the dismaying realisation that my ever so kind wi-fi connection had decided today to cause problems in speed.

Calling up my friend in desperation, I nearly gasped in relief when he picked up. Unlike me, he was already on campus, lazily napping in his seat in the exam hall.

“UB20101,” he murmured sleepily to my frantic question.

I rushed to the University, arriving at 9.50 am. Just on time, I thought to myself as I sauntered into the room and took my seat. As the clock struck 10.00,the invigilator handed me a MGT 201 question paper. My eyes grew wide: I was in the wrong room!

A spasm of hysteria ran through my spine, as I ran throughout the university checking all the lists on the exam doors.

My last resort was the internet service at Annanya – and thankfully I was able to retrieve my real room number: UB10101.

Oh, how I ran that day!

This brings us to the present scenario: I sat at the last row and wrote my heart out. Time was my greatest nemesis that day: I started my exam at 10.40 am! Unable to answer a fifteen mark question, and two of the four questions from the chapters that I had left out, I left the exam room devastated. What I learnt is that a good wi-fi connection is always worth the extra pay (and to not leave everything till the last minute). ■

BRACU Express | 5

April 10, 2018

SPECIAL FEATURE

ne Wrong

achers alike are embroiled in the fervour of final assignments, final projects, ecially terrific, a time period rich with potential for the most appalling and tudent. Whether it’s forgetting to submit a term paper, or studying for the alvage their grades even after disaster strikes!

Technical difficulties Written By Adiba M Proma I quietly stared at the computer in disbelief as a red warning sign appeared. The ticking of the clock only made my heart race faster. Funny how a familiar place can feel so strange in times of crisis. A part of my overworked brain filled with a sense of regret over being foolish enough to voluntarily sign up for this hell. The other part calculated my estimated GPA for this course given I fail the lab final, and consequently my CPGA given I fail this course.

Programming is a funny thing. You make one error and your whole code crashes. For the rest of the world, who are safe from this ugly side of technology, coding is somewhat like an overly attached clingy friend who throws a fit the second you forget some minute details of her life. So, the words “compiler error” is basically the tech translation of your friend’s “nevermind”.

Perhaps things would have been easier had there not been a new programming language in every course.

Perhaps things would have been easier had the computers worked well. Or perhaps things would have been easier had I showed up in lab classes more.

Snapping out of my world of non-existent possibilities, I decided to give my code one last try. I frantically searched for the famous semi-colon in my code. I checked over a hundred lines for syntax errors (for the lucky ones unexposed to this monstrous tech world, this can be

likened to a typo). Did people really think finding a needle in a haystack was hard? They should honestly try debugging.

One look at the clock and my heart stops. There is no way I can debug this in 60 seconds. I looked over my shoulders gesturing at my friend who has already shown his code to the teacher (and has probably aced the exam with flying colours like he always does) to email his code, silently praying his kind soul has mercy on me.

He nods and I sigh in relief.

I open my Gmail Account. To my horror, the email is not there. I look over the clock, only 15 seconds left. This is the part where…

Just then, all the monitors turn off, and although it was just a split second before the generator gets turned on, everyone’s codes have Photographer been deleted. The Dhaka Rezwanur Rahman loadshedding had finally Written by come to good use!

Adiba M Proma “Time is up! Those of Faiza N Rafa you who lost your codes, just email this to me as a Rezwanur Rahman marked assignment!” My Roshni Shamim (now-favourite) teacher grunts. ■

The perfect score Written By Roshni Shamim The sound of crisp sheets rustling are heard as they’re passed around from one nervous hand to another. Soon enough, whispers of “a friend in need is a friend indeed” reaches my ears. I smile to myself but by the time I turn back, gone is the grin to be replaced by a face that would even put the Grim Reaper to depression.

I sigh dramatically as I say, “ I didn’t even study properly but I’ll try to be of help!” I finish off with vaguely watery eyes as my (now former?) friend rolls his eyes at me.

Hmm. Perhaps I need to up my game. I am pulled out of my thoughts by the looming figure of terror approaching me; the invigilator himself. I bring out my hands, not shaking in the slightest and give the innocent doe-eyed look I have mastered through the semesters.

I open my question paper and almost gasp aloud in delight. Beautiful! Common questions from everything that I studied from the 6 books and 20 pages of notes has

made their grand appearance today. So begins the ballad.

The story continues melodiously on as I hurriedly jot down everything I was able to study in the last 3 months of preparation.

After 3 extra double sheets of answer script, I submit and emerge victorious from the classroom; only once again to go back to character and whine about getting everything wrong and surely deserving nothing above a B. Two weeks of suspense pass by and I finally rush to the office hoping to hear about my 100% on the final. The faculty smiles at me as I enter, only confirming what I already know. As I feel the first breeze of cloud 9 whisking me away, alas, my grade... it says, 95%.

The world stops. Time stands still. Truly, there is no bigger horror than not getting what you deserve.

I leave the room sadly to find others congratulating me while I for once do not have to put on my sad face for show. They only cheer me for my effort but little do they know, when finals go wrong, they make your whole existence wrong. ■

6 | BRACU Express

April 10, 2018

OFF CAMPUS & SPOTLIGHT Donate your books to People Library Bangladesh

In conversation with an alumnus Maesha Rashedin Reporter

Rafsan Zia Reporter

Most people feel like you need a perfect plan to determine your career trajectory. But most people forget that we learn as we go, as reiterated by Labiba Mahmud, a teacher’s assistant in the Department of Pharmacy—that it is our experiences that shape us and consequently, our future.

Labiba’s interest in Biology led her to pursue the subject till her A Levels. Wanting to work in the healthcare sector, Labiba decided to study pharmacy at BRAC University.

As an undergraduate student, she remembers enjoying most of her courses, in particular pharmacology which focuses on how drugs interact

Until recently, the concept of ‘book donation’ was an idea most often associated with the image a man walking past a house screaming ‘paper’ and then acquiring the books at prices based on how much they weigh. However, People Library Bangladesh has managed to break this notion and give new meaning to the donation of books.

People Library Bangladesh is a non-profit organization, established in October 2017 by Abdullah Al-Kafi, a student of BRAC Business School. The aim of the organization is to provide better education and social welfare to the underprivileged communities of our country.

Often students require books for a single semester and the book then becomes obsolete to them.

The organization collects these books from students that no longer require them, and rent them out to other students currently taking those

Abdullah Al-Kafi, the CEO of People Library Bangladesh.

courses. They charge only Tk 50 for an entire semester. The idea is that by donating books used in the previous semester, a student is not only helping their peers acquire books at a low cost, but are also being able to rent books for the next semester at an equally low cost. At the moment, the service is only available to BRAC University students, however, Abdullah does wish to expand.

The objective of People Library Bangladesh is to provide social welfare and it will be doing just that with the money amassed. The street children will be aided and hopefully, eventually, educated with the funds earned. Additionally Abdullah hopes to donate some of the funds to old homes to provide a better lifestyle for the aged population.

Book donations to People Library Bangladesh are encouraged for all students as it will help those with financial strains and will also help in making our society build an interest on the educational field, on a rather large scale. ■

Goynar Baksho.BD: A Rising Venture with the body.

While still a student, Labiba conducted her own research on experimental analysis of different chemicals for six months but had to discontinue due to unavailability of resources in the country. Instead of getting disheartened, she gained a newfound interest in research and academia, thus replacing her initial pursuit of a well-paid corporate job.

It was this interest that led her to join her alma mater as a TA under the supervision of the Chairperson of the Department of Pharmacy, Dr Eva Rahman Kabir, who was also previously her project supervisor.

Looking back, Labiba muses how one gets to experience undergraduate life only once and that in retrospect she feels happy with the decisions that she took. While it is stressful to face obstacles when pursuing one’s goal, overcoming them leads to finding out what you are made of.

“Looking back,” she says, “you will realise that these are the struggles you have been through and that is why you deserve the good things coming to you now.” Her advice to those who are passionate about medication and healthcare, is to pursue their field with commitment and dedication. ■

Suha Tabassum Reporter Among its many achievements, Goynar Baksho.BD has received an award for being the best Student Entrepreneur of the Year from the Dhaka Chambers Association.

The online jewelry store is the startup brainchild of Humaira Nur Afsana, a senior in the Department of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. Today, the page has over 39,000 likes and has become Goynar Baksho.

BD—a reputed store, known for their classy and elegant jewelry and watches for affordable prices.

For the past two years, the startup has been pleasing hundreds of customers all over the country with their unique and fashionable pieces. Afsana told us how, “Goynar Baksho.

BD delivers approximately 1500 parcels every month.”

Goynar Baksho.BD at their stall at ShopUp SuperSeller’s Boishakhi Mela 1425.

Since its A bustling crowd of women surrounds conception, the jewelry. (Source: Facebook). the shop has

partnered with two delivery companies along with the E-Commerce service ShopUp. They are currently participating in Startup Istanbul 2019, a worldwide event that introduces the top 100 startups to investors and companies, spreading their reach across international waters.

G o y n a r Baksho.BD is set to acquire an official trade license within the month and aims to establish their first branch in Dhanmondi.

Afsana would Pieces from Goynar Baksho.BD on dislay. like to thank BRAC University’s Centre for Entrepreneurship Development for their tremendous support, and also the university itself for their spectacular fairs in which the startup has participated 15 times.

Goynar Baksho.BD aims to keep moving forward and serving the students of BRAC University and beyond for many more years in the future. ■

You can order from G o y n a r Baksho.

BD online

through their Facebook page fb.com/ gbaksho.

BRACU Express | 7

April 10, 2018

SPORTS NEWS Early exit for the BRACU cricket team to seem steeper and steeper. Nafees Mosharraf and Sayeed Saad tried to steady the ship, with scores of 32(43) and 28(22) respectively, but the damage was already done. BRACU were bowled out for 107 with 3 balls remaining in the game.

Safir Zawad Reporter

The BRAC University Cricket Team participated in this year’s ULAB Fair Play Cup T20 Cricket Tournament, On March 21st, BRACU faced off against SEU in a do or which is the 11th iteration of the tournament. The ULAB die match, but the task ahead was steep, as the SEU team Fair Play Cup is organized by the University of Liberal Arts, and is considered to be the premium tournament in the had some of the best players in the tournament. BRACU won university level cricket circuit. The tournament started on the toss and chose to bat, but were crushed by the bowling the 15th of March, attack of SEU, being with all matches bowled out for 93 being held at the runs. The talented ULAB Sports Field SEU side chased the in Mohammadpur. target with ease, The tournament taking only 12 overs. consisted of 12 With this defeat, teams split into 4 groups, with BRACU crashed out BRACU being of the tournament. pitted against The winner of North South the ULAB Fair Play University (NSU) Cup gets to play and Southeast University (SEU) in in international Group C. BRACU’s tournaments like the first fixture was The BRAC University Cricket Team at the ULAB Fair Play T20 Cup. Red Bull Campus against NSU on Cricket Cup. BRACU Monday, March 19th, at 1:30 PM. NSU won the toss, and struggled to break through to the Super Eights this year, but decided to bat first. They posted a chaseable total of 128 for the loss of 7 wickets in 20 overs. BRACU started off slow, can take a lot of lessons from the two games they played, and scoring 11 during the Powerplay overs, and the chase started can hopefully come back to achieve more next year. ■

Captain of the Titans Muntaqa W Bari Reporter Even those considered sports fanatic likely vehemently follow only cricket and football. A very small percentage of the populace at BRAC University show interest for the sport called basketball. Being one of the most popular indoor games in the world, it is trying to find its place here, and attempting to usher it in is a senior from BRAC Business School, Tanzeer Ahmed.

When did you start playing basketball?

Initially, I was an under-14 cricket player in Chittagong’s district team. This was back in 2004 when, in order to practice, you had to buy cricket sets costing more than Tk 10,000. Since my family refused to buy me one, I decided to turn to a sport where you did not have to spend as much to play. My school used to hold basketball practices. You only needed a pair of shoes to play.

The first day was brutal. I could not hold the ball or run

like the other players. It was an extremely embarrassing experience.

Describe your journey in basketball so far.

I made it to my school’s main team when I was in class 8.

Since then I have played in Chittagong’s district team and also played in both first and second divisions. I was also the captain of my college basketball team. I joined BRAC University in the fall of 2013 and immediately participated in a tournament, which we won.

But over the following three years, BRACU did not take part in any more basketball tournaments. Our university has a lot of talented players who were willing to play for the university. So, I took the initiative to arrange a Residential Semester tournament, which served as an audition for the players who would make it to the main team. Since then, we have participated in two inter-university tournaments, one of which BRAC University has hosted.

Where do you want to see BRACU’s team in the future?

From the day I joined the team, I wanted to take it to a point where everyone would know our team like they do North South University’s or Independent University, Bangladesh’s teams.

Since the last tournament, invitations for matches have already started coming in. If the current players give it their all, they can take the team to even greater heights. ■

Affordable healthy lunch Lamia Mela Reporter Hectic lifestyles and crammed class schedules can cause one to mindlessly spend money on food at cafes and restaurants, and in most cases, not have their dietary needs met throughout the day. Nonetheless, here are certain food-hacks that can help break this dreadful cycle and bring insight into it.

The macro-nutrients necessary for an average adult are grouped as fats, carbohydrates and proteins, all of which we are familiar with in the buzzing world of health consciousness.

An essential macronutrient necessary in a lunch meal are carbohydrates.

They act as the daily fuel, replacing the burnt calories and renewing energy.

Now, we all know carrying certain food items over a period of time can often turn them soggy or even spoilt.

The best option for this is to prep your meals beforehand, which many nutrition enthusiasts are trying to make simpler.

This consists of preparing a few days’ worth of food and storing it in airtight containers that can be quickly tossed into bags when leaving the house. A good portion of one’s own choice of pasta, a side of chicken or beef lightly cooked in oil, along with some favorite vegetables can be an example of such meals that are not too ambitious.

We have also learnt to view snacking as a tempting path to gluttony. Unhealthy foods mostly end up on this list. The best remedy for this is carrying nuts, grains, seeds and fruits in a small container to have on the go. This is a way to curb cravings and add yummy and nutrituous foods to your diet. Needless to say, it is easier on the wallet too.

Finally, water intake is one of the most important aspects of staying healthy that we commonly neglect.

8 cups of water is the recommended daily intake. With summer being right around the corner, it is advisable to carry water bottles at all times in order to stay hydrated. Today, a healthier lifestyle is just a few doable changes away. So what’s your excuse? ■

8 | BRACU Express

April 10, 2018

C TO O P R ME 3 E D C Y S

ENTERTAINMENT

A hilarious soap opera subversion, starring Gina Rodriguez as Jane Villanueva, an aspiring writer who gets artificially inseminated and is launched into a zany new lifestyle.

From the creators of The Office and Parks and Rec comes a show that reimagines the after-life in a witty comedy, starring Kristen Bell as protagonist Eleanor Shellstrop.

Based on Richard K Morgan’s trilogy of the same name, Altered Carbon takes place over 300 years after our time in a world where technology has developed to the point where you can store your consciousness digitally, fly cars, clone yourself, live eternally and much more. Lead character, Takeshi Kovacs’ ( Joel Kinnaman) mind is freed from imprisonment and digitally imported into a new body as he is hired by an impossibly wealthy, long-lived man, Laurens Bancroft ( James Purefoy), with the reward of being allowed to live freely again. However, Kovacs has to, in return, solve the murder of Bancroft himself.

Calling Altered Carbon a murdermystery would be doing it an injustice.

It is a chaotic concoction of sci-fi, mystery, romance, action, violence and a small dash of comic relief. It is through this amalgamation of genres that makes this series so difficult to follow yet so engaging at the same time. Diversity is definitely a strong

point for the series. The cast does not have a lot of known faces, however this show could be a strong starting point for, at least, the main characters. Even though they mostly consist of B-list actors and actresses, they have brought a surprising amount of talent to the show along with a lot of heart.

Although the other virtues may have their vices, one aspect of the show that really outshines, is the CGI. With the current times, CGI has progressed and innovated to realms beyond imagination and Altered Carbon takes it through the roof. They have completely created a vast world that seems to have jumped right out of the novels, with its vivid colours and a massive cluster of high tech and neon, which is bountiful yet not too excessive. Altered Carbon is not a casual view and requires some more work on their story, but, with a little polish, could definitely be the start of a new heavyweight series.

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Rachel Bloom produces and stars in this musical comedy, exploring issues of mental health, friendship, love and sexuality, interspersed with snazzy and ridiculous musical and dance numbers.

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